Chelsea Technologies' Sea Sentry Secures ClassNK Certification

Photo: Chelsea Technologies

Chelsea Technologies announced that its Sea Sentry wash water monitoring system for ship exhaust gas cleaning systems has been certified by ClassNK, verifying compliance with IMO Annex VI wash water discharge regulations.

Accurate monitoring for compliance with environmental regulations is a vital prerogative for the international shipping industry, particularly ahead of the 2020 global sulphur cap. Owners and operators are under increasing scrutiny to not only install costly compliance technologies but also to provide accurate data to demonstrate compliance, whilst also maintaining operational efficiency, profitability and protecting their reputation within the market.

The installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) is an attractive compliance option that affords owners and operators the opportunity to continue to burn Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) at a lower cost; with estimates tagging the post-2020 fuel spread between HFO and distillates as varying between $150 and $400 per tonne (p/t), depending upon the port, according to Platts and Bloomberg data.

While the payback period is relatively short, scrubbers are a costly capital expenditure - ranging from $2m to $6m per unit - and so it is crucial that compliance with environmental regulations can be proven. All varieties of wet scrubber systems use wash water which must be monitored at all times to avoid discharges that may exceed regulations and damage the environment.

Dr. Brian Phillips, Managing Director of Chelsea Technologies Group, commented, “Shipowners and operators have crucial decisions to take ahead of the 2020 sulphur cap. For those taking the decision to invest in scrubbers, it is critical that vessel operators work with knowledgeable experts to receive the training they need to operate new systems, along with the understanding to be able to interpret and apply the data, and prove compliance. Acting now will ensure companies stay ahead of regulations and will continue to trade across the globe.

“Achieving ClassNK certification is a significant step in our commitment to obtaining type approval for all of our monitoring systems, offering our customers the assurance that our systems meet the utmost standards in quality, accuracy, and operational efficiency.”

Sea Sentry provides a fully autonomous wash water monitoring system, which monitors both the water inlet and outlet of wet exhaust gas scrubber systems.